The Purgatory Calamity
Chapter 190 - 175: Mid Innate Realm! (Seeking a basic monthly pass!)_1

Chapter 190: Chapter 175: Mid Innate Realm! (Seeking a basic monthly pass!)_1

After the arrangements were in place, Pang Jian returned to his cave dwelling.

The thought of seeing Luo Hongyan at the trading event tomorrow, appearing after a long disappearance only to be sold off as goods, dampened his spirits.

"Cao..."

He snorted coldly in his heart, holding a grudge against the master of Yuan Mang Fragmented Lands.

"Thud thud!"

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

Pang Jian, who was about to meditate and cultivate, thought Gao Yuan might have some questions and got up to open the stone door.

Outside the cave, stood an unexpected visitor—Individual Cultivator Lei Kun.

"Aren’t you going to invite me in?"

Lei Kun took the initiative to ask.

Pang Jian, with his mind filled with doubts, let him into the cave and asked with a frown, "What brings Senior here?"

Lei Kun looked at him deeply, suddenly cracked a smile, and said, "I ended up giving that piece of Blood Lizard skin to Jiuyuan."

Pang Jian nodded without saying a word.

After Jiuyuan had cleared up his and Luo Hongyan’s identities, their plunder of the beast-catching ship was no longer a secret.

Lei Kun naturally knew that the body specially refined for him by the Blood Moon was destroyed by Pang Jian and Luo Hongyan.

Therefore, Pang Jian suspected he didn’t have good intentions.

"Heh, I don’t plan to take revenge on you just because a new body was destroyed,"

Breaking the silence, Lei Kun revealed his purpose, speaking softly, "I came here to tell you that your sister has been captured by Cao, and she will appear in the trading event tomorrow."

"And I am leaving Yuanmang tonight to avoid being used as a pawn by Jiuyuan."

Pang Jian was stunned and asked, "Why?"

"It’s just a new body. Blood Moon will continue to refine one for me according to the rules, since I have paid for it,"

Lei Kun chuckled, explaining generously, "At most, it delays me some time. But my intuition tells me that it’s best not to become your enemy; I also don’t want to get involved in the conflict between you and Jiuyuan, so I can only leave first."

Pang Jian nodded and said, "I don’t wish to become enemies with Senior Lei either."

"Haha!"

Lei Kun laughed, speaking frankly, "Someone who managed to obtain many vital items from level-seven ferocious beasts through a horrific trial, I don’t believe will die at the hands of Jiuyuan easily."

"Pang Jian, I hope we meet again someday."

With those words, Lei Kun left cave dwelling number fifty-six.

"Who will die is still uncertain,"

After Lei Kun disappeared, Pang Jian muttered quietly to himself.

After calming his emotions, he took out a barrel of Red-eyed Demon Wolf beast blood, ingested it, and started to circulate the "Pot Heaven Nourishing Qi Spell."

Soon after, an intense Earth Fire Flame Force and a fierce blood qi surged forth simultaneously.

Pang Jian, who could multitask, directed these two forces towards his Spiritual Sea and towards the Creation Divine Pool in his chest cavity.

In the Spiritual Sea, the Flame Pool continued to expand!

In the Creation Divine Pool, the blood mist turned from light to thick!

"In the early stages of the Innate Realm, one can close their pores and conceal their breath, greatly enhancing the circulation and refinement of spiritual power."

"During the middle stages, spiritual power can burst forth from the pores all over the body, forming the so-called Firm Cover."

"In the later stages, spiritual power will slowly permeate the brain, stimulating one’s potential, getting ready to condense Divine Sense."

"..."

Pang Jian, mulling over silently, attempted to release spiritual power through all the pores in his body.

"Whoosh!"

A Cyan Shining Spiritual Power Strong Shield instantly surrounded him, clearly emerging into view.

"Innate Realm mid-stage!"

Pang Jian’s spirit was shaken.

According to Luo Hongyan’s explanation, as well as the records of the "Pot Heaven Nourishing Qi Spell," the formation of the spiritual power strong shield meant he had ascended to the mid-stage of the Innate Realm!

"I haven’t been rigorously cultivating recently, how could this happen..."

Pang Jian felt perplexed after his excitement, squinting at the light shield emanating from his body.

The crystal clear shield, shaped like an oval goose egg, enveloped his entire body within it.

He remembered Zhu Yuanxi of Blood Moon once conjured a dark red Firm Power light shield that withstood all his Moon Blade attacks.

The Firm Cover is the main hallmark of the mid-stage of the Innate Realm.

Yet he did not expect that a casual attempt would enable him to successfully condense a Spiritual Power Light Shield.

"Could it be due to the special nature of the Chaos Sea, or because I absorbed the Extreme Cold Alien Power from the sacrificial altar beneath Ice-rock City?"

Pang Jian couldn’t find the answer.

Shaking his head, he stopped dwelling on the reasons behind his sudden advancement and focused on the present.

"As for spiritual power, is it possible to merge Moon Energy, Star Power, and Extreme Cold Alien Power?"

With that thought, he injected these three types of power into the Cyan Shining Spiritual Power Light Shield within him.

Soon after, the shield he had conjured thickened several times over!

He suddenly felt that by combining Moon Energy, Star Power, and Extreme Cold Alien Power, the defensive strength of the new shield was instantly multiplied several times!

Next, he attempted to gather Power of the Sun and Earth Heart Flame Power from the Flame Pool.

However, he found that as soon as these two forces entered the shield, they immediately began to conflict with Moon Energy, Star Power, and Extreme Cold Power.

With a "bang," the shield instead shattered.

"Forces incompatible in properties, forcibly blended together, will only backfire."

Pang Jian realized the truth.

He conjured the Spiritual Power Light Shield again, this time without using Moon Energy, Star Power, or Extreme Cold Alien Power, but integrating the Power of the Sun and Earth Fire Flame Power into it instead.

"Whoosh!"

The Cyan Shining Spiritual Power Light Shield suddenly turned a deep red hue, radiating an astonishing glow and heat.

It felt somewhat like the radiance of the sun released by Yang Rui of the Raging Sun Sect, who had just appeared at the wooden gate today.

"Incorporating different forces, my Spiritual Power Strong Shield can produce two distinct changes."

He, somewhat surprised, continued to practice in the cave dwelling, exploring the peculiarities of both types of shields.

Early in the morning.

"Thump, thump, thump!"

Qi Qingsong was knocking from outside again, clamoring, "Time waits for no one, lad, whatever decision you’ve made, you’d better act quickly."

Pang Jian pushed open the stone door and handed him a bottle of medicine, saying, "Drink it, it’s good for you."

Qi Qingsong didn’t even think before downing it in one gulp. He smacked his lips and silently sensed its effects, surprised, "Hey, this stuff is not bad. Not only does it heal wounds, but it seems it can also enhance my perception."

"Do you have any more?"

He unceremoniously reached out his hand.

Pang Jian immediately handed over another bottle.

Qi Qingsong downed it in a single gulp as well, squinted his eyes, and silently sensed its effect, saying, "I’m in the Hollow Profound Realm, at the stage of condensing Divine Sense. This medicine... can actually make my mind clear, aiding the refinement of my Divine Sense."

He clicked his tongue in wonder.

"Pang Jian, how many more treasures do you have? We’re brothers; such great stuff, you’ve got to think of me in the future, too!" Qi Qingsong stretched out his hand, shamelessly asking for more, "Another bottle!"

Pang Jian grimaced inwardly and handed over another bottle, saying, "This is the last one!"

"Mmm-hmm!"

Qi Qingsong nodded cheerfully and once again drank it all in one go, his eyes half-closed as he savored the sensation.

"Whoosh!"

Without concealing himself from Qi Qingsong, Pang Jian invoked the Cyan Shining Spiritual Power Strong Shield again with a thought.

"Eh! You’ve advanced to the mid-stage of the Innate Realm?"

Qi Qingsong was shocked and wondered aloud, "I remember you saying you were at the early stage of the Innate Realm not long ago, how did you make another breakthrough in such a short time?"

"Is it so strange?"

Pang Jian frowned and said, "After you left Bagua City, you climbed two realms in succession. If you could achieve such progress in a matter of months, why couldn’t I?"

"We are different. I advanced to Innate through the Unity of Heaven and Man from the Marrow Cleansing Realm," Qi Qingsong said proudly, lifting his head, boasting, "Everyone who ascends to Innate through the Unity of Heaven and Man method will swiftly progress in both the Innate and Hollow Profound Realms."

"The early stage of the Innate Realm, including the middle and late stages, is frankly about more exquisite and meticulous use of Spiritual Power."

"I’ve already reached the state of Unity of Heaven and Man, so naturally my compatibility with Spiritual Power is incredibly high, and all kinds of sophisticated applications of Spiritual Power come as naturally as breathing."

Qi Qingsong boasted smugly.

Pang Jian was stunned for a moment, then asked, "Are you saying that as long as one breaks through by Unity of Heaven and Man, the advancement in both Innate Realm and Hollow Profound Realm will be very fast?"

"Well, actually, it helps with later cultivation too, but the improvements are more noticeable in the Innate Realm and Hollow Profound Realm," Qi Qingsong earnestly answered, snorting, "Otherwise, why do you think I would rather not break through and seek for Unity of Heaven and Man?"

He grinned and added, "Hey, those senior brothers from the Inner Gate back in the day are now only in the Hollow Profound Realm!"

"It seems I was slower by a few years, but after breaking through to Innate, I entered the Hollow Profound Realm ten times faster than they did!"

"In the future, the gap between them and me will only grow wider!"

Qi Qingsong was brimming with pride.

"I see."

Understanding, Pang Jian nodded and said, "It seems that I should be able to catch up with you soon and ascend to the Hollow Profound Realm, just like you."

"You?!"

Qi Qingsong was astonished.

"Yes, we’re the same."

Pang Jian gave a definite answer.

"You lad..."

Qi Qingsong took a sharp breath and slapped Pang Jian’s shoulder hard, saying, "Since you’re a cultivation genius just like me, you must not die in Yuan Mang! Pang Jian, that girl surnamed Luo isn’t your real sister, why not just let it go?"

Pang Jian ignored him and left the cave dwelling first.

Qi Qingsong sighed and quickly followed.

"Pang, I’ve sent all the stuff over."

Gao Yuan said at the gate.

"Thank you for the trouble."

Pang Jian nodded and expressed his gratitude.

Moments later, he and Qi Qingsong once again reached the trading ground.

As soon as he entered, the first thing he saw was Luo Hongyan.

A huge, prism-shaped crystal was erected and placed on top of the central platform of the trading ground.

Luo Hongyan was inside the crystal. Her beauty, which could bring disaster to the state, was clearly presented for everyone to see.

Her fair skin like jade, the perfect figure under her long red dress, and her deep and mysterious eyes...

Every person entering the trading ground would look at her first thing, and would be amazed by her beauty.

Especially the men!

Every male cultivator, no matter where they were, would look her way from time to time.

"Who is this woman?"

"Cao has imprisoned her, what exactly does he want to do? Could it be that she, too, is one of today’s strange treasures?"

"Blood Moon’s Jiuyuan and Yin Spirit Temple’s Lou Yunming have both been watching her. These two old fellows, they wouldn’t be thinking of joining the bid for her, would they?"

"..."

Many people whispered among themselves.

Like being frozen in crystal, Luo Hongyan, facing forward, was not facing the wooden door that Pang Jian had come through. She couldn’t move her body; only her eyes could move.

She did not see Pang Jian right away and was unaware that he had already entered, standing at the wooden door by her side.

— Until someone called out Pang Jian’s name.

"Pang Jian!"

...

ps: It’s the beginning of the month, and I, Ni, humbly ask for your monthly votes, today... there will be four Chapters!

Brothers and sisters, ladies and gentlemen, please cast a monthly vote, this old man bows in thanks~~